Flooring elements are normally elongated boards with a tongue in one edge and a mating groove in the opposing edge. The ends of the flooring element may also be similarly configured. Wooden strip flooring is often slightly crooked or warped, or may be curved or bent, requiring the installer to drive the strip into engagement with the adjacent strip using a hammer, mallet, or seating tool. Unless pressure is maintained on the strip during the nailing of the strip into the proper position, the strip can move, resulting in a small gap between strips with the final floor being uneven, which could require its replacement because of the poor installation or for aesthetic reasons.
Many devices have been developed to overcome this problem. However, flooring jacks currently available work only in a single direction, either by pushing a flooring strip into place with regard to a wall or other fixed building element, or by pushing a flooring strip into place by anchoring the pushing device into place before bearing on the strip. There is no suitable device that will operate in either direction, as desired by the installer.